Chicano theater is a type of theater that originates from Latin and Hispanic cultures. This theater style is loud, boisterous, colorful, imaginative, and most importantly representative.
Though The United States of America is considered the "melting pot", though we do not have any specified official language, and though heavily Spanish speaking latin America is one of our 2 landlocked neighbors, a large majority of people in the USA still see Mexican Americans, Chicanos, Hispanics, etc as being a minority and as being foreigners. These groups of people might be immigrants but this is there home and with them they have brought rich cultural beliefs, practices, customs, traditions etc. These immigrants have made homes for themselves here and through themselves they have established a dominating cultural presence. Zoot Suit is one of these cultural fruits that was written by Luis Valdez proclaimed father of Chicano theater in the United States of America. His play documents a fictional story surrounding the non fictional zoot suit riots which occurred over the Sleepy Lagoon murder trial in California. This play was of immense importance because of the voice it gave to these people who were harassed during this time. The saying that the people who win the wars write the history textbooks has always proven true. Luis Valdez is a powerful play write because his words and plays have followers and his words get read and heard. The popularity of this play led to more chicano theater and more of a voice for these peoples who for so long were just regarded as inferior citizens.
Though The United States of America is considered the "melting pot", though we do not have any specified official language, and though heavily Spanish speaking latin America is one of our 2 landlocked neighbors, a large majority of people in the USA still see Mexican Americans, Chicanos, Hispanics, etc as being a minority and as being foreigners. These groups of people might be immigrants but this is there home and with them they have brought rich cultural beliefs, practices, customs, traditions etc. These immigrants have made homes for themselves here and through themselves they have established a dominating cultural presence. Zoot Suit is one of these cultural fruits that was written by Luis Valdez proclaimed father of Chicano theater in the United States of America. His play documents a fictional story surrounding the non fictional zoot suit riots which occurred over the Sleepy Lagoon murder trial in California. This play was of immense importance because of the voice it gave to these people who were harassed during this time. The saying that the people who win the wars write the history textbooks has always proven true. Luis Valdez is a powerful play write because his words and plays have followers and his words get read and heard. The popularity of this play led to more chicano theater and more of a voice for these peoples who for so long were just regarded as inferior citizens.